No to the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival, entitled “Z (Comme Z)”.
The protest in Kiev comes via letter sent by the Ukraine Institute, which represents the culture of the country in the world. In the letter, which is addressed to the French director Michel Hazanavicius, it is asked precisely to avoid in the title the reference to the Z, which has now become a symbol of Russian pro-invasion of Ukraine.
"We believe - writes general director Volodymyr Sheiko - that changing the title of the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival would be a gesture against the barbarism, violence and terror of the Russian army".
The film is actually called Z (Comme Z) in France and is actually recorded like this in Cannes, even though the international title is FINAL CUT.
Natalie Movshovych, director of cinema at the Ukrainian Institute, then pointed out that in Russia "the local media have already used the title of the film, publishing articles that could be summarized as: 'See? They are supporting us.' We ask the artistic director Thierry Frémaux and Michel Hazanavicius to change the title in the name of all the victims of the region of Kiev, Mariupol and Kharkiv ".
"I called my film Z (Comme Z) in my country - explains the accused director - because it is a zombie comedy and is inspired by what we call in France 'series Z' or series B film in America. title caused distress to the Ukrainian people makes me feel helpless and very sad, because it is the last thing I wanted to do. "
Eventually, after the protests, the Z was removed. The news was given by the organization of the kermesse, explaining that the director himself made the decision. "With this choice, the director, the producers and the distributor of the film, the Cannes Film Festival and, by extension, all French cinema - reads a note -, underline their solidarity with the Ukrainian people who are suffering and strongly reaffirm their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army ".
"Since the letter Z - he continues - has taken on a bellicose meaning with the war of aggression waged against Ukraine by the Russian government, there can be no such confusion or ambiguity".
The letter from the Ukrainian Institute also contested the decision to put in competition the latest film by Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, Tchaikovsky's wife. The film was backed by the private Kinoprime film fund with $ 100 million from Roman Abramovich. Serebrennikov, director of Petrov's flu and Leto, - the letter continued - was sentenced in June 2020 to three years of imprisonment with suspended sentence and also to a fine for false accusations of embezzlement.
A Moscow court overturned his sentence, which was suspended last month, and the director was recently allowed to leave Russia. "Despite all this, Cannes is now planning a film made by this director," said Ukrainian producer Denis Ivanov, a collaborator of Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov.
(Unioneonline / D)